Another way
by Hybrid Wayward Dragon
Summary: This is how 3.20 should have gone, with Davina surviving at the end. Rated T for some swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**I couldn't sleep last night. I had to wake up at seven thirty. My brain came up with a small rewrite of 3.20 based on something that didn't make sense to me when I first watched the episode. Still doesn't make sense but at 4 am this is what my brain came up with. I don't know whether to apologise or not. If you guys like it, I may post another chapter. Either way, read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

Freya looked at Elijah as he shut the phone. Her brother looked troubled and she could tell that the conversation had gone poorly. Why Niklaus couldn't see that this was the only way was beyond her. She wasn't a miracle worker. All she knew was that she had to protect what remained of her family. She _had_ to.

So they walked into the room, Elijah subduing Marcel easily. She grabbed onto Davina and chanted her spell. She had a limited time frame within which she could do this and she would be damned if she didn't use every second of it. Nonetheless she felt pity rising up in her as Davina pleaded for them to stop, the young witch not even understanding why any of this was happening. Freya had to ignore the fear in Davina's eyes, knowing that otherwise she would be unable to complete the spell, making all of this be for nothing. Finishing the spell, she called out to Elijah, her brother coming to her side in an instant.

Letting go of one of Davina's hands, she grabbed onto Elijah, channeling him while still keeping the young witch somewhat grounded. Stepping back so that the circle would once again be unbroken, she drew upon the vast amount of power lying dormant inside Elijah to ground Davina in this world again so that Kol could bring her back, yet making sure that she did not draw on an ounce of the power that she had siphoned from the ancestors.

Finally, when she was sure that Davina wasn't going anywhere, she let go of the young witch's hand, swaying slightly as Elijah caught her. "I am so sorry but we had to do it." She told a terrified Davina. "There wasn't any other way to stop him."

"Freya, we have to leave now." Elijah insisted. He was right, the eldest Mikaelson realised. Lucien had most likely already tracked down Hayley and Klaus. With one last apologetic look at Davina, Elijah sped them both out of the compound and they began to make their way to the bayou.

* * *

Reaching the bayou to find Lucien with his hand buried in Hayley's back, hand wrapped around her heart and Niklaus kneeling, both Freya and Elijah were filled with righteous fury and certain that this time, damning the consequences had been the only thing they could have done.

Draining Lucien of the power the ancestors had provided him with had been one of the most satisfying things Freya had done in a while. Seeing the look of fear on _his_ face gave her great pleasure. And as Niklaus knelt beside him, shard of glass in hand, his cruel words meant to cut and break and bleed, she couldn't stir up an iota of pity for the vampire that lay broken on the floor as her brother ripped his heart out. For what he had done to her family, Freya would have made his death last an eternity but she couldn't help but feel a little satisfied as Niklaus gave him a swift, clean death after reminding him of his place in words so softly spoken. She was a Mikaelson, after all. No one who hurt her family would ever be shown any mercy by her.

Unfortunately, however, as much as she had damned consequences earlier, she knew that she and Elijah would have to suffer them now. It could have been worse, she reminded herself as Elijah wiped the look of victory from Niklaus's face with a few words, changing it instead to one of stony anger.

" _You fucking idiots_." She started. Of everything she expected him to say, that hadn't been it. He shot them a look of pure disgust before turning to Hayley who immediately pulled out her phone and handed it to him as his own hadn't survived the crash. He dialled a number quickly and held the phone to his ear, all the while looking ready to rip them both a new one. "Kol?" His voice was worried as he spoke, a stark contrast to the anger that was still openly displayed on his face. "Is your witch alright?" Kol's undoubtedly curt reply did nothing to dampen the anger still sparking in his eyes but at least eased the tense set of his shoulders. "I didn't want anything to do with this. In case you forgot, you are and always will be my blood. I _won't_ let you suffer the same loss I have. Calm down Marcel if you can, all of us will be having a _chat_ when we get back."

He hung up the phone then, handing it back to Hayley. The blonde hybrid took a few breaths before turning to Elijah and punching him in the face. He fisted his hands in the soft white material of Elijah's shirt as he pulled his brother close enough to see the rage still smouldering in his eyes. "Our burden is to _protect_ our family, both blood _and_ chosen. Try not to forget that." He let go of Elijah then, the vampire stumbling and nearly falling before catching himself.

Klaus made his way to his car, first checking to see if Rebekah was still inside and unharmed. The car, miraculously, was still in a position where he could drive it although it was in need of some serious maintenance. Hayley silently made her way to the car as well, sitting in the front seat as Freya and Elijah made their way to the back. Freya felt like a chastised child whose parents were both simultaneously disappointed and angry at her. Niklaus wouldn't even look at them and Hayley kept opening and closing her mouth as if unsure what to say.

"We defeated Lucien and Davina is still alive, I'm not seeing the downside here." The words were out before Freya could stop them and she could see Klaus clenching the leather of the steering wheel even tighter than before.

"We nearly lost _everything_. Don't you understand? We still might. Do tell me, what exactly is the point of a family that has been ripped to shreds? Kol already believes that he isn't an important part of this family, was killing Lucien today really worth our _brother_?" Klaus took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as his voice rose with every sentence.

"Niklaus, what would you have us do, let you _die_?" Elijah pointed out logically and Klaus exploded.

" _Yes_! Fucking yes! The only thing I have left to live for _is_ this family, is _Hope_ and we all know I don't deserve her anyways. What do I have left if you tear our family apart in my name? Davina is important to Kol and to Marcel, thus she is important to me! I refuse to lose both of them because of the death of one single witch and I don't give a damn if you don't understand that. Because understand this, she may be a pain in the ass, but she is a part of this family whether you like it or not. So damn well treat her like it." After his outburst, they spent the rest of the car ride in silence, thinking about what he said and dreading the moment they would return home.

* * *

Kol was never leaving Davina alone with his family ever again. Coming back to with Vincent to a frightened girlfriend and an angry Marcel had not been in his list of things for today. He pushed down his anger at his family for the moment and concentrated on bringing Davina back to life, grateful that he somehow still had the chance to do that. There were a few moments in between when he was afraid the spell may have failed and he was more than ready to eliminate the current regent for his uselessness when he heard a gasp and Davina sat up, breathing hard. The thick band of fear and guilt around his heart loosened almost immediately and he rushed to her side to make sure she was alright. She threw her arms around him and any lingering fear finally melted away at her touch, leaving behind only a burning rage at what his family had nearly taken away from him.

He didn't know what to think when Nik called him. Rage coursed through him and he snapped at his brother without thinking, allowing rage and betrayal to dictate his actions. After that morning, when Nik agreed to helping him and put it as his first priority, Kol had actually felt important in a way he hadn't before. He had known he could trust Nik to help him, to put _him_ first for once instead of Rebekah or Elijah or someone else. He couldn't help the betrayal that flowed through him at Elijah and Freya's actions. But hearing the barely contained fury in Nik's own voice made him pause and reassess the situation, made hope bubble up inside him that maybe Nik _hadn't_ agreed to their siblings' actions. Just maybe, he had meant everything he had said this morning.

* * *

Klaus was angry, of course he was. He held onto that anger as they left the bayou, held firmly onto it throughout the never ending drive back home and brought it back to the surface as he walked through the gates of his house. All of that anger left him as he saw Kol, leaving behind only bone weary exhaustion. He pulled his younger brother into a hug, apologising over and over for not being there to stop it from happening in the first place. He turned to Davina then, the young witch curled into herself on the couch, her eyes wide and fearful. Kneeling down beside her, a small smile curving up his lips, Klaus spoke to her in soft tones, like one would address a scared animal.

"We've hurt each other in the past." He said, not bothering to sugarcoat his words. "We've tried to kill each other on numerous occasions, something which, I admit, I began. But you are a part of this family and I _will_ defend you from those who wish to cause you harm. You are important to those who matter to me and by default, you are important to me, trust that if nothing else." Davina nodded slightly, shock and disbelief filling her still fearful eyes even if some of the terror had faded from them.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Hayley murmured as she approached Davina, gently leading her away from the tension filled room. It was a testament to how much the young woman was still in shock as she allowed herself to be lead away without even a word of protest.

Klaus then turned to Marcel, almost impressed that he had remained silent all this time. The younger vampire was furious though, his face a mask of rage. "What was it that I failed to do for you?" He asked, not bothering to even attempt a mask of calm. "I have done _everything_ you asked, risked my _life_ for your family, seen my friends _die_ for your family-"

" _Our_ family." Klaus interrupted. "Don't you _dare_ discount yourself from it. Not after everything, you don't have the right to do that. And if you think that I would forget how important that child is to you, to Kol, how important she was to Camille, you don't know me very well."

"Oh, no. I'm not playing your game. Not anymore. You people don't care about anyone who isn't a Mikaelson, we're all just collateral damage to you and nothing more."

"You're right, Marcellus." Klaus began, cocking his head. "I don't care about anyone outside of my family. Whyever should I? My own family is trouble enough. I suppose then, by that logic, I am allowed to care about you seeing as how I adopted and claimed you as my own. You are, in all but name, a Mikaelson. I'd advise you to remember that." He turned around, ready to walk out of the room before pausing and addressing both Marcel and Kol. "Grab a blood bag before either of you do anything else and yes, that includes yelling at Elijah. You look like Hell warmed over."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. So I know you lot probably figured this wasn't coming ever but I had most of it written up. Its just a small follow up on the previous chapter and I would have posted it earlier but my phone, being the asshole that it is, decided that breaking sounded like a great idea and seeing as how everything I write is on my phone, I didn't really have access to anything I wrote. Not too sure about the ending but if I get a better idea than I'll update this. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

"Come on Kol, let's get you cleaned up."

 _The vampire allowed himself to be led away by his brother, still in shock that Klaus of all people was helping him get Davina back. The two's mutual hatred of each other was not something he was unaware of. Hell, most of their encounters were one trying to kill the other so Kol was finding it a little difficult to process that Klaus would be so willing to help him. Kol had no idea where Klaus was taking him, lost in thought as he was, walking in a daze. The sight of Davina's broken body was burned into his eyelids, grief, anger and numbness fighting for a place in his mind._

 _When he came to, he was almost surprised to find himself sitting on the bed in his room, his hands alternating between sitting uselessly on his lap and running helplessly through his hair. His older brother was smiling softly and pushing some clean clothes into his hands. "Go shower. I'll be here if you need me." Kol nodded, a feeling of numbness enveloping him as he got up, never quite leaving him even as he turned up the heat of the water and his skin burned from the intensity of the heat._

 _Pulling on his clothes and stepping out into his room, he was surprised to see Klaus actually still standing there, a mug filled with what looked like blood in his hands. His brother started as he saw him, gently pushing the warm mug into his hands. "I remembered you saying that you were going clean now so I only got blood from a bag." The words were spoken a little awkwardly as if Klaus wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but Kol appreciated the effort. He sat down on his bed, still numb as what happened started to sink in._

 _Klaus noted Kol's state unhappily, angry at the ancestors for putting him in such a position in the first place. Seeing Kol's still wet hair, Klaus picked up his discarded towel and gently started drying his brother's hair. Kol was tense at first, but as Klaus continued his gentle movements, the tension and numbness flowed out of his body making way for the anger and the grief._

 _"I can't lose her, Nik. Not her. I've had just about everything taken from me, but I won't let them take her. She was the one good thing I had. I can't lose her too."_

 _"You won't Kol." Klaus's voice was strong, a stark contrast to Kol's trembling one. "Not if I can help it. You won't have to suffer what I have, I promise."_

* * *

As Kol sat by Davina's side while she slept, he thought of what had happened that morning, as Nik came to his defense. It was the last thing he had ever expected from him, but he had actually stayed true to his words. Kol knew he was the wild card in this family, he always had been. Being an outcast in this family of theirs was an easy task. Time and betrayals and their father had seen to them never truly being certain of where the others stood. But there were moments, few and sometimes far in between, of true acceptance, ones that made everything they had had to suffer through worth the pain, if only for a little while. This morning had been one of those moments, he knew it.

He looked up as Freya entered the room, smiling weakly. He glared at her, not being able to muster up any energy to play this game his family had played for centuries, of false smiles and easy betrayals. "What do you want Freya? Davina isn't of any more use to you."

"Kol... I know you hate me for what I did-" she began before Kol cut her off.

"Damn right I do. Its hardly as if you've given me much reason not to."

Running a hand over her face in exasperation, she met his gaze with her own. "Would you rather your girlfriend or your brother?" Freya asked him abruptly.

"What?"

"Because Niklaus would rather he be killed." Freya laughed bitterly. "Evidently our dear brother likes to keep his affection in the closet, Only taking it out when it helps him or the world is ending. When Elijah and I reached, Lucien, that son of a bitch, had his fingers around Hayley's heart and _Klaus_ -," she broke off, fingers pressed over her lips, shaking her head.

Kol got up, in front of her in an instant, hands gripping Freya's shoulders tight, tight enough to leave bruises as he demanded answers from her. "What was Nik doing? He wouldn't let that worm do that, not to the mother of his child."

Anger sparked in Freya's eyes, walls of steel rising up. "No he wouldn't. That worm, as you put it, told him to kneel or he'd rip her heart out. And you know what?" Her voice was full of venom as she spat the words out, pure fury in it. "He did. Elijah and I walked in as he was on the ground kneeling before that dog. Your brother could have, by all rights, _should_ have died today had Elijah and I not acted as we did and even knowing that, he told us he'd rather he die than have our family ripped apart in his name. He told me that his demons nearly won today, would have won if Davina had died. So you tell me, who would you rather have, your brother or your girlfriend?"

Kol had let go of Freya as if burnt, rendered speechless by her words. He turned around, trying to wrap his mind around all that he had learnt and started as he saw Davina sitting up in bed, her eyes wide open. "I don't understand." She began, her confused mind working through everything that had happened. "He hates me. I've tried to kill him. Why would Klaus be angry if I died? Why was he helping you bring me back?"

"Because of Kol." Freya sighed. "Cami just died. He's trying to hold this family together as best as he can without losing it. For what it's worth, I didn't want to hurt you or put you in danger Davina. Elijah and I saw an opportunity and we had to make a choice. That choice saved two people who are very important to me."

"And put someone very important to _me_ in danger." Kol interjected, fury rising up again.

Freya shrugged. "It did. I won't defend my actions. I chose my brother over a dead witch. I'm sorry." Shaking her head, Freya turned around to leave. "Niklaus thinks his demons may have won today if you stayed dead even though we killed Lucien." She threw over her shoulder as she left. "My advice is for you to stay alive after this."

Kol's first instinct was to chase after his sister and shake some answers out of her if he had to. Catching sight of Davina and setting how shaken the young woman was, however, he restrained himself, choosing instead to sit down by her side. He could deal with his family tomorrow.

The young witch smiled weakly at him. "I vote that we never do that again."

Kol couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter at her statement, putting his arms around her and holding her close. "I vote we never do that again too." He whispered into her ear.

They remained like that the rest of the night, Kol holding her tightly, reassuring the both of them of each other's presence.


End file.
